Southland Conference Announces Commissioner?s Honor Roll for 2011 Fall Semester
FRISCO, Texas - A total of 693 student-athletes have been named to the Southland Conference Commissioner's Fall Academic Honor Roll, the league office announced Thursday.
This year's list boasts five student-athletes of the year, three players of the year and a total of 118 student-athletes with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages during the fall semester. The honor roll includes student-athletes who took part in men's and women's cross country, football, women's soccer and volleyball.
Central Arkansas led all Southland institutions with 94 honorees and also led the league with a total of 19 student-athletes who recorded a 4.0 GPA. Leading the Bears to their first NCAA Division I football playoff berth was senior offensive lineman Brad Jakel. Jakel, an exercise science major with a 3.42 GPA, helped the Bears offense average more than 400 yards per game and 32.2 points per game. Cristin Curl, a senior on the volleyball team, helped the Sugar Bears to an East Division title during the 2011 season. Curl, a business management major with a 3.80 GPA, led UCA to a semifinals appearance in the Southland tournament before the Sugar Bears fell in five sets to eventual conference champion. Curl was also a first-team all-academic selection.
Northwestern State had 80 selections to the commissioner's list, including nine student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA. Seniors Justin Aldredge and Yaser Elqutub were named to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Director's Association Academic All-Star Team for the second consecutive year. Aldredge earned a 3.50 GPA in business administration and Elqutub carried a 3.33 GPA in scientific inquiry in the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern State for the fall semester. Both earned first-team all-conference and were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Leading the Lady Demons back to the Southland volleyball tournament was Jessica Guttierrez, who posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in general studies/pre-veterinarian.
McNeese State and Sam Houston State each had 75 members on the honor roll. Among McNeese's honorees are seven student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA. Leading way for the McNeese football team is graduate student Ben Bourgeois, who was the sole football player to earn a perfect 4.0. Bourgeois, who is earning his masters in business administration, also earned CoSIDA academic all-district honors, was an FCS ADA Academic All-Star and was named to the Southland All-Academic team for the second consecutive year. For the McNeese soccer team, Johna Germany, who tied for a team-high four assists and was second on the team with five goals on the season, earns to spot on the honor roll to go along with her first-team all-academic selection. Germany, a health and physical education major with a 3.27 GPA, also earned honorable mention for the 2011 all-conference team.
Of the 75 Bearkats to appear on the honor roll, nine had a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. Junior Tim Flanders, a football all-academic selection, was named the 2011 Southland Football Athlete of the Year and guided Sam Houston to a spot in the NCAA Division I championship game. It was the first appearance in the championship game for the Bearkats, who ended the season with a 14-1 record. Flanders finished the semester with a 3.33 GPA in management information systems. The Bearkats volleyball team notched five student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPAs. Overall, the Bearkats, who made a run to the semifinals of the Southland volleyball tournament, placed 13 members of its 16-member squad on the fall honor roll.
Nicholls State, Stephen F. Austin and Lamar were the other institutions to place at least 60 members on the honor roll with 64, 63 and 62 student-athletes, respectively. Nicholls State boasts 10 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA, including four members each on the football and soccer teams.
Stephen F. Austin is headlined on the honor roll by Kylie Louw, the conference player of the year for soccer. Louw, who was also named the soccer student-athlete of the year, earned second team National Coaches Soccer Association of America All-Academic honors and was named to the CoSIDA academic all-district team with a 4.0 in kinesiology. Louw set an SFA school record with 14 assists on the season and led the Ladyjacks to a program-best 15 wins on the season. Football junior Jacob Fincher, a football all-academic selection, posted a 4.0 in agriculture and is one of five football players with a perfect GPA. SFA tallied 17 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA for the fall semester.
Of the 62 members on the honor roll for Lamar, 16 recorded a 4.0 GPA. The 2011 Southland men's cross country championship team placed 12 of its 13 members on the honor roll, including five with a 4.0. Matt Johnsen, who posted a 3.64 in kinesiology, was named the men's cross country student-athlete of the year after a second-place finish at the conference championship. The women's cross country team, which placed third in the conference, had 10 student-athletes make the honor roll, including four with a 4.0 GPA. The Lady Cardinals' top finisher in the conference championship was Sam Walkow, who placed seventh overall in the championship while earning a 3.35 in psychology.
Southeastern Louisiana landed 52 members on the honor roll, including 13 with a 4.0 GPA. The Lady Lions were led by Kyle MacIntosh, a second-team NCSAA All-Academic member. MacIntosh, who earned a 4.0 in kinesiology, was a first-team all-conference and first-team all-Louisiana choice and was the anchor for the Southeastern defense that held opponents to 18 goals on the season and finished the year with eight shutouts.
UTSA placed 41 student-athletes on the fall honor roll, including seven with a 4.0 GPA. Highlighting the Roadrunners honor roll is Kelsey Jewasko, the volleyball student-athlete of the year. She posted a 4.0 GPA in interdisciplinary studies while earning CoSIDA academic all-district honors and second-team Lowe's Senior CLASS Award All-American. Jewasko helped UTSA to the championship match of the Southland tournament and a 14-2 mark in conference play.
Texas State placed 39 on the commissioner's honor, including eight student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi placed 30 on the honor roll and have seven with a 4.0 GPA, while UT Arlington had 19 honor selections, including two student-athletes with a perfect GPA.
Texas State volleyball player Amber Calhoun was selected as the volleyball player of the year, helping the Bobcats claim the Southland regular-season and tournament title. Calhoun recorded a 3.0 GPA in recreational administration for the fall semester. Helping the Bobcats claim another conference title, senior soccer player Lauren Frazier earns a spot on the honor roll with a 3.31 in exercise and sports science. Frazier was named the most valuable player in the Southland tournament, leading the Bobcats to an NCAA tournament berth.
Highlighting A&M-Corpus Christi on the honor roll is the women's cross country team, which claimed the Southland title this season. The Islanders place 16 members of the squad on the honor roll, including five runners with a 4.0. Senior Kristine Burciaga, who placed second overall at the conference championship, earned a 3.0 in biomedical sciences in the fall semester.
Among UT Arlington's selections on the honor roll are volleyball players Alicia Shaffer and Tara Frantz. Shaffer, the libero of the year, earned all-academic honors for the second time with a 4.0 GPA in management. Frantz, a first team all-conference selection, was named to the all-academic team for the third consecutive season with a 3.78 in kinesiology.
The Southland Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll acknowledges participants in all sports sponsored by the league and its member institutions. The honor roll is released within 30 days at the conclusion of the fall and spring semesters, recognizing student-athletes who maintained a minimum 3.00 GPA. Student-athletes, nominated by their respective academic advisors, must have been eligible to compete in a conference sport during the academic year in which the nomination occurs.